My World (Justin Bieber album)
Encyclopedia
My World is the first release by Canadian singer Justin Bieber
. It is considered to be the first part of a two-part debut release. My World, being the first part is considered an extended play
standalone. It was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records
, and its follow up
was released on March 23, 2010. Bieber worked a variety of producers and writers such as his mentor, Usher
, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream
, Midi Mafia
and more. The songs are mostly inspired by teen romance and typical coming of age
situations, and musically the album is R&B
influenced pop.
The album received positive reviews from critics, and peaked at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200
, selling 137,000 copies in its first week, which was at the time, the best opening release for a new artist in 2009, until the record was topped by Susan Boyle
's I Dreamed a Dream
. It also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart
. The album was certified Platinum in Canada less than a month later and was certified double platinum in November 2010. In less than a month of release, the album was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA, and in less than two months later, the album was certified platinum in the United States, selling over a million copies. After less than a month of its United Kingdom release, it was certified Silver by the BPI
and was certified double platinum in December 2010.
The album's lead single
, "One Time", was released on July 7, 2009, and reached the top twenty in five countries. The following three singles were released exclusively on iTunes. The second single, "One Less Lonely Girl
", was released on October 6, 2009, and peaked within the top ten in Canada and top fifteen in the United States, and it later charted in several other countries. Two promo singles were released on iTunes; "Love Me
" was released on October 26, 2009, and the second, "Favorite Girl
," was released on November 3, 2009. Both singles had commercial success in the United States, Canada, and eventually other countries.
Prior to the album's release, Bieber became the first solo artist in Billboard
history to have at least four singles enter the Top 40 of the Hot 100 before his debut album's release. To support the album, Bieber went on a radio/television promotion spree, a tour in Canada sponsored by Urban Behavior
, was the opening act for the Fearless Tour
in the United Kingdom
, and will headline his first major tour, the My World Tour
in June 2010 to support the release along with My World 2.0
.
, as he and his mother posted videos of him in singing competitions for family members who could not attend. As his popularity on YouTube grew, he was eventually discovered by his future manager, Scooter Braun
. Braun flew Bieber to Atlanta, Georgia
to consult with Usher
and soon signed a record deal with Island
. Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, discovered his videos, and flew Bieber to Atlanta, Georgia
where he met with R&B singer/songwriter Usher. A week later Bieber had the opportunity to sing for Usher who immediately became greatly interested, giving him an audition with Antonio L.A. Reid at Island Records
who signed him to Island Records in October 2008. Justin Timberlake
was reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but he eventually signed with Usher. Usher then introduced Bieber to the industry in April 2009 in Los Angeles, just after he had finished up recording his lead single
, "One Time
". Usher described Bieber to the crowd as a "young phenomenon" and "definitely a priority for me and Island Def Jam."
In an interview with AOL
's JSYK, when asked about the album's title, he said "Basically it was the only way I could really describe it. It's so many elements of my world." When asked about his music, Bieber said "I think older people can appreciate my music because I really show my heart when I sing, and it's not corny. I think I can grow as an artist and my fans will grow with me." When talking about his album to MTV News
, Bieber said:
, Stevie Wonder
, Chris Brown, Usher
, and Ne-Yo
. The standard edition of the album can be split into two distinctive sections, the upbeat mainstream R&B/pop sounds of "One Time", "Favorite Girl
", "Bigger
", and "Love Me
", which infuse synths. The set slows down with "First Dance
", "One Less Lonely Girl
", and "Down to Earth
", which include simple R&B undertones. Entertainment Weekly
calls the difference in the album "sugary puppy-love ballads and dinky dance-pop confections." "Love Me", was called by MTV
"a widescreen club track that is full of bubbly synths and Bieber's now-signature croon." Crystal Bell of Billboard
compares the arrangement of "One Less Lonely Girl" to other mid-tempo hits such as Chris Brown's "With You
" and Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable
". Critics thought that Michael Jackson's legacy was evident in the album. The New York Times
said the track "First Dance" which featured Usher, echoes Jackson's "You Are Not Alone
". It also said that the song "Bigger" was accented with New jack swing
, a style Jackson heavily experimented with in his Dangerous album. Rolling Stone
instead called the song a "P.Y.T.
rip."
The album is lyrically based on coming of age
situations and teenage love. "Down to Earth", written by Bieber with assistance from Midi Mafia
and The Jackie Boyz
, is based on Bieber's experience with his parents' divorce. Bieber said in an interview with Billboard
, "It's a ballad about the feelings I had when my parents split up and how I helped my family get through it. I think a lot of kids have had their parents split up, and they should know that it wasn't because of something they did. I hope people can relate to it." When asked about the concept of "One Less Lonely Girl," Bieber told MTV News
, "I think it's really important these girls have something so they can be one less lonely girl."
, Z100 and Radio Disney
. Internationally, he appeared on the European program The Dome
and performed "One Time". His television appearances include appearing several times special guest on YTV's MuchMusic
, presenting at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
and performing on mtvU's VMA tour. He performed "One Time" and "One Less Lonely Girl" on The Next Star
's finale, on September 26, 2009. On October 12, 2009, Bieber made his first non-MTV U.S. television appearance when he performed "One Time", "Favorite Girl", and "One Less Lonely Girl" on The Today Show's Toyota Concert Series. Many fans had begun camping out for the concert over thirty-two hours before his performance, and Bieber went to surprise the fans that were already there. The heavily packed concert resulted in high security and barricades nearly being broken down. The crowd for the Today concert was the biggest at the show for the year, including the Miley Cyrus
concert. Bieber appeared and performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
on November 3 and 17, Good Morning America
on November 14 and 15, Lopez Tonight
on November 17, Chelsea Lately
on November 18, It's On with Alexa Chung
on November 19, The Wendy Williams Show
on November 27, and BET
's 106 and Park on December 10, 2009, alongside Rihanna
. In addition to the talk show appearances, he appeared on True Jackson, VP
, coinciding with the days before the album's release. During Winter 2009, Bieber began another promotion tour in the U.S., and is currently performing at several holiday "Jingle Ball" concerts.
While promoting the album, Bieber was scheduled to appear at Long Island's Roosevelt Fields Mall, but the performance had to be cancelled. TMZ
first reported the story, and it was covered by several national media outlets. Over 3,000 screaming fans showed up for the appearance. The event got out of control and over 35 police units from Nassau County
and Garden City
had to be called in. According to TMZ, a fan screamed that Bieber was in an Abercrombie Kids
store, and that is when the mayhem already taking place got further out of hand. Several fans were injured, but no serious injures took place. The police told Bieber he could not come in because of the current situation and fire hazard. In an interview with WBLI
106.1, Bieber stated, "It was so crazy that I couldn't get to even come in the building," the singer said. "They [the authorities] basically threatened to put me in cuffs and send me away to jail." The police arrested an Island Records senior vice-president, James A. Roppo, reportedly for hindering the police's crowd control efforts. Bieber took to Twitter, apologizing to fans, and promising to make up for the cancellation.
Bieber performed for U.S. President Barack Obama
and first lady Michelle Obama
at the White House
for the Christmas in Washington
, a televised musical special that benefits the National Children’s Medical Center, which aired on December 20 on TNT Bieber performed Stevie Wonder
's "Someday at Christmas
" at the program. He was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31. While promoting the album in the United Kingdom, Bieber performed an acoustic rendition of "One Time" and a drum solo on BBC
's Blue Peter
on January 12, 2009.
, which was due to begin on November 1, 2009. However due to illness, Bieber was unable to make the opening date in Vancouver.
Tour Dates
Bieber joined Taylor Swift
when she returned to the United Kingdom
for two dates of her Fearless Tour
on November 23 and 24, 2009.
was announced on March 13, 2010, supporting My World and My World 2.0
. It started in June and is scheduled to end on December 23, 2010
on July 7, 2009, through digital distribution, and later released to U.S. mainstream radio. The song was released as Bieber's debut single in the United Kingdom
in early January 2010. The song was critically appreciated by critics, commending its production, vocals and quality of lyrics. "One Time" peaked at twelve in Canada
twenty in the U.S. and eleven in the United Kingdom. It achieved international success, reaching the top thirty in Germany
, Belgium
, and Austria, and charted in Australia
, Austria
, The Netherlands, and Ireland
. European success propelled it to chart at twenty-nine in the European Hot 100. The music video features Usher
and Bieber's friend Ryan Butler, as Bieber throws a party at Usher's house while he is away.
"One Less Lonely Girl
" was released exclusively to iTunes
as the album's second single on October 6, 2009. In November 2009, it was released to other digital download
sites, and to U.S. mainstream radio. It received positive reviews. At the time, the song was Bieber's highest peak in the United States and Canada reaching fifteen and ten respectively. It went on to chart in the top thirty of Belgium and Germany, and charted in Austria also, and then it later charted in Australia and the United Kingdom. The accompanying music video features Bieber searching for his crush who left her scarf at the local laundromat.
"Love Me
" was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promo single from the album. The song samples The Cardigans
's hit Lovefool
. One of the most highly praised songs on the album, critics hailed the electro and club feel of the track. It peaked at twenty seven and twelve in the U.S. and Canada, respectively. It later charted at sixty-five and seventy one in Australia and the United Kingdom.
"Favorite Girl
" was released exclusively to iTunes as the second promo single from the album, and the last single from the first part of the album. It peaked at fifteen in Canada and twenty-six in the United States, and later charted at ninety-two and seventy-six in Australia and the United Kingdom.
. Even though the album debuted at six on the U.S. Billboard, it had a more than strong debut at 137,000 copies in its first week, which made Bieber have the best-selling debut by a new artist in 2009. However, the record was broken the following week with the release of Susan Boyle
's I Dreamed a Dream
. The album dropped to fourteen in its second week, but rose to twelve in the third week. The album collected 97,000 more sales in its fourth week, pushing the album up to number eight. The album continued to progress in sales during the fifth week, remaining at eight, and shifting another 130,012 copies. In the sixth week, the album moved up to seven, selling 157,000 copies, more than it sold in its debut week. The seventh week, the album returned to its original peak at six, selling an additional 52,000 copies. The album was certified gold in the U.S. by the RIAA on December 14, 2009, and was upgraded to platinum on January 8, 2010, selling over a million copies in the United States After his follow-up My World 2.0
topped the Billboard in March 2010, My World entered the top five, peaking at number five, making Bieber the first artist to have two titles in the chart's top five since Nelly in 2004.
The album had a stunning debut on the Canadian Albums Chart
, charting at number one, and also went on to chart at eighteen in Austria and Germany, thirty-nine in Switzerland
, fifty-two in the Netherlands
, and twenty-four in Belgium
, on the Flanders chart
, and fifty-five in Belgium on the Wallonia chart
. The November releases in Europe helped the album chart at sixty-one on the European Top 100 Albums Chart
. After the album was released and charted at number three in the United Kingdom and at twelve in Ireland, it reached sixteen on the European Albums Chart. The album also peaked at number twenty-eight in Mexico, seventy-nine in Australia
, and nineteen in Poland.
, the album had mostly favorable reviews, with an average score of 65 out of 100 points. Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly
gave My World a B-, saying that the "sugary puppy-love ballads and dinky dance-pop confections" were not surprising. However, he commended songs such as "Love Me
", calling it a "killer electro-glam groove", and overall commending the album, hoping that Bieber's "swagger" continues to grow with age. Ashante Infantry of Toronto Star
gave the album 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, saying that Bieber sounds like a "young Chris Brown with overdubbed New Edition-style harmonies", and that is production team "songwriters found the right combination of hip-hop beats and love-struck lyrics for the Canadian's earnest pubescent vocals."
Allmusic gave the album 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, comparing Bieber to Chris Brown and Ne-Yo
, and calls the album "a set of songs that isn't quite top-level quality, but the singer more than gets by on his squeaky-clean charm and natural ability." Rolling Stone
gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, commending the track "First Dance" saying, "But who could deny 'First Dance,' where Usher drops Justin at the prom so he and his Bieblette can get to "rockin' back and forth under the disco ball." Billboard
gave the album a positive review, calling Bieber's vocals "as boyish as they are disarmingly mature". The review as in others commends Bieber on his swagger, and the poignancy of "Down to Earth" and predicts more success in the future, stating, "it's hardly a stretch to imagine Bieber racking up more hits in the next decade to come". "Down to Earth", a mid-tempo ballad based on Bieber's real-life experience with his parents' divorce received universal acclaim from critics. Boston Globe which gave the album a mixed review overall said that "Down to Earth" was the essential song from the album. The New York Times
called the song along with "One Less Lonely Girl" "uncomplicatedly beautiful and earnest".
.
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. It is considered to be the first part of a two-part debut release. My World, being the first part is considered an extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
standalone. It was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, and its follow up
My World 2.0
My World 2.0 is the latter of two-part debut studio album from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, and is his first full studio release. The album is the follow-up to the first platinum certified half of the album, which was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and 2.0 was first released...
was released on March 23, 2010. Bieber worked a variety of producers and writers such as his mentor, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, Midi Mafia
Midi Mafia
Midi Mafia is a hip hop/R&B production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift from Ottawa, Ontario...
and more. The songs are mostly inspired by teen romance and typical coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
situations, and musically the album is R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
influenced pop.
The album received positive reviews from critics, and peaked at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 137,000 copies in its first week, which was at the time, the best opening release for a new artist in 2009, until the record was topped by Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
's I Dreamed a Dream
I Dreamed a Dream (album)
I Dreamed a Dream is the debut album from Scottish singer Susan Boyle. It was released on 23 November 2009 by Syco Music in the United Kingdom, and by Columbia Records in the United States one day later. In the standard edition, 11 out of the 12 songs that appear on the album are cover songs, plus...
. It also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
. The album was certified Platinum in Canada less than a month later and was certified double platinum in November 2010. In less than a month of release, the album was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA, and in less than two months later, the album was certified platinum in the United States, selling over a million copies. After less than a month of its United Kingdom release, it was certified Silver by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
and was certified double platinum in December 2010.
The album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "One Time", was released on July 7, 2009, and reached the top twenty in five countries. The following three singles were released exclusively on iTunes. The second single, "One Less Lonely Girl
One Less Lonely Girl
"One Less Lonely Girl" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by Bieber's mentor, Usher, as well as Ezekiel Lewis, Balewa Muhammad of The Clutch, and A-Rex duo Sean Hamilton and Hyuk Shin...
", was released on October 6, 2009, and peaked within the top ten in Canada and top fifteen in the United States, and it later charted in several other countries. Two promo singles were released on iTunes; "Love Me
Love Me (Justin Bieber song)
"Love Me " is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The track was written by Bruno Mars, Ari Levine, and Phillip Lawrence, and produced by Bill Malina and DJ Frank E. It was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promotional single from his debut studio release, My World on...
" was released on October 26, 2009, and the second, "Favorite Girl
Favorite Girl
"Favorite Girl" is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by D'Mile, and Antea Birchett, Anesha Birchett, and Delisha Thomas also receive writing credits...
," was released on November 3, 2009. Both singles had commercial success in the United States, Canada, and eventually other countries.
Prior to the album's release, Bieber became the first solo artist in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
history to have at least four singles enter the Top 40 of the Hot 100 before his debut album's release. To support the album, Bieber went on a radio/television promotion spree, a tour in Canada sponsored by Urban Behavior
Urban Behavior
Founded in 1989 by Arif Noor, Urban Behavior is a unisex apparel retailer with 40 stores in Canada which sells private label clothing mostly designed out of Los Angeles. Most of the fashions change depending on the current trends, but the focus is on club wear. The store is mostly popular with...
, was the opening act for the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and will headline his first major tour, the My World Tour
My World Tour
The My World Tour is the debut concert tour by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It is Bieber's first concert tour which supports his two-part debut album My World and My World 2.0. The tour was officially announced on March 16, 2010, a week before My World 2.0 was released...
in June 2010 to support the release along with My World 2.0
My World 2.0
My World 2.0 is the latter of two-part debut studio album from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, and is his first full studio release. The album is the follow-up to the first platinum certified half of the album, which was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and 2.0 was first released...
.
Background
Bieber began his career on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, as he and his mother posted videos of him in singing competitions for family members who could not attend. As his popularity on YouTube grew, he was eventually discovered by his future manager, Scooter Braun
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun is an American talent manager. His acts appear on two record labels, Raymond-Braun Media Group and Schoolboy Records. The most prominent artist Braun represents is Justin Bieber, who is signed to Raymond-Braun Media Group...
. Braun flew Bieber to Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to consult with Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
and soon signed a record deal with Island
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, discovered his videos, and flew Bieber to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
where he met with R&B singer/songwriter Usher. A week later Bieber had the opportunity to sing for Usher who immediately became greatly interested, giving him an audition with Antonio L.A. Reid at Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
who signed him to Island Records in October 2008. Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
was reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but he eventually signed with Usher. Usher then introduced Bieber to the industry in April 2009 in Los Angeles, just after he had finished up recording his lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "One Time
One Time
"One Time" is the debut song of Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song was produced and written by RedZone Entertainment's Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, and Kuk Harrell and production duo The Movement. It is the first single released from his debut EP, My World....
". Usher described Bieber to the crowd as a "young phenomenon" and "definitely a priority for me and Island Def Jam."
In an interview with AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's JSYK, when asked about the album's title, he said "Basically it was the only way I could really describe it. It's so many elements of my world." When asked about his music, Bieber said "I think older people can appreciate my music because I really show my heart when I sing, and it's not corny. I think I can grow as an artist and my fans will grow with me." When talking about his album to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, Bieber said:
"There's a lot of stuff that's not just about love. There's songs that teens can relate to, as far as parents not being together and divorce, and just stuff that happens in everyday life. There's a lot of [artists] my age, [and] their whole album [is], 'Everything is perfect.' "Real life isn't perfect, so my album kind of portrays that. You just have to make the best of what you have."
Musical structure, style and lyrics
Musically, the album is R&B influenced pop, and is compared to the work of artists such as Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Chris Brown, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, and Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
. The standard edition of the album can be split into two distinctive sections, the upbeat mainstream R&B/pop sounds of "One Time", "Favorite Girl
Favorite Girl
"Favorite Girl" is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by D'Mile, and Antea Birchett, Anesha Birchett, and Delisha Thomas also receive writing credits...
", "Bigger
Bigger (Justin Bieber song)
"Bigger" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, included as a track on his debut release, My World, released on November 17, 2009. It was written by Bieber, Dapo Torimiro and Lonny Breaux , Kevin Risto and Waynne Nugent of Midi Mafia, with the latter duo and Torimiro producing the song...
", and "Love Me
Love Me (Justin Bieber song)
"Love Me " is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The track was written by Bruno Mars, Ari Levine, and Phillip Lawrence, and produced by Bill Malina and DJ Frank E. It was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promotional single from his debut studio release, My World on...
", which infuse synths. The set slows down with "First Dance
First Dance (song)
"First Dance" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, included as a track on his debut release, My World, released on November 17, 2009. Featuring his mentor, R&B singer Usher, the song was written by the two with Jesse Wilson, Ryan Lovette, Dwight Reynolds, and Alexander...
", "One Less Lonely Girl
One Less Lonely Girl
"One Less Lonely Girl" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by Bieber's mentor, Usher, as well as Ezekiel Lewis, Balewa Muhammad of The Clutch, and A-Rex duo Sean Hamilton and Hyuk Shin...
", and "Down to Earth
Down to Earth (Justin Bieber song)
"Down to Earth" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, included as a track on his debut release, My World, released on November 17, 2009. It was written by Bieber, who was assisted by Carlos and Steven Battey of The Jackie Boyz, as well as the song's producers, Mason "MdL" Levy, and...
", which include simple R&B undertones. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
calls the difference in the album "sugary puppy-love ballads and dinky dance-pop confections." "Love Me", was called by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
"a widescreen club track that is full of bubbly synths and Bieber's now-signature croon." Crystal Bell of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
compares the arrangement of "One Less Lonely Girl" to other mid-tempo hits such as Chris Brown's "With You
With You (Chris Brown song)
"With You" is a pop/R&B song by Chris Brown, nominated for 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and written by Johntá Austin, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate...
" and Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable
Irreplaceable
"Irreplaceable" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day . The song was written by Knowles, Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate and Knowles...
". Critics thought that Michael Jackson's legacy was evident in the album. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said the track "First Dance" which featured Usher, echoes Jackson's "You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone
"You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The R&B ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and...
". It also said that the song "Bigger" was accented with New jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
, a style Jackson heavily experimented with in his Dangerous album. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
instead called the song a "P.Y.T.
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
"P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,...
rip."
The album is lyrically based on coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
situations and teenage love. "Down to Earth", written by Bieber with assistance from Midi Mafia
Midi Mafia
Midi Mafia is a hip hop/R&B production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift from Ottawa, Ontario...
and The Jackie Boyz
The Jackie Boyz
The Jackie Boyz are an American multi-platinum singer/songwriter tandem that consists of two brothers, Carlos Battey and Steven Battey...
, is based on Bieber's experience with his parents' divorce. Bieber said in an interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, "It's a ballad about the feelings I had when my parents split up and how I helped my family get through it. I think a lot of kids have had their parents split up, and they should know that it wasn't because of something they did. I hope people can relate to it." When asked about the concept of "One Less Lonely Girl," Bieber told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, "I think it's really important these girls have something so they can be one less lonely girl."
Promotion
During the summer and fall of 2009, Bieber went on a tour to promote his debut single, visiting several radio stations and performing exclusively. Some of his stops included American Top 40American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
, Z100 and Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
. Internationally, he appeared on the European program The Dome
The Dome (television program)
The Dome is a German television program and music event, produced and broadcast by RTL 2. Roughly every three months, a new show is recorded in an event hall in different cities in Germany and Austria. In each episode, several national, but also international bands and musicians perform their...
and performed "One Time". His television appearances include appearing several times special guest on YTV's MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, presenting at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
and performing on mtvU's VMA tour. He performed "One Time" and "One Less Lonely Girl" on The Next Star
The Next Star
The Next Star is a Canadian reality television show on YTV hosted by Adamo Ruggiero. The show is a competition to find the most talented singer in Canada who is under 15 years of age. The next star inspires many to come and audition for their chance to win the next star. Winning contestants are...
's finale, on September 26, 2009. On October 12, 2009, Bieber made his first non-MTV U.S. television appearance when he performed "One Time", "Favorite Girl", and "One Less Lonely Girl" on The Today Show's Toyota Concert Series. Many fans had begun camping out for the concert over thirty-two hours before his performance, and Bieber went to surprise the fans that were already there. The heavily packed concert resulted in high security and barricades nearly being broken down. The crowd for the Today concert was the biggest at the show for the year, including the Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
concert. Bieber appeared and performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
on November 3 and 17, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on November 14 and 15, Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
on November 17, Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
on November 18, It's On with Alexa Chung
It's On with Alexa Chung
It's On with Alexa Chung was an American live interactive talk and variety program that aired weekdays on MTV from June 15 to December 17, 2009...
on November 19, The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in...
on November 27, and BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 and Park on December 10, 2009, alongside Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
. In addition to the talk show appearances, he appeared on True Jackson, VP
True Jackson, VP
True Jackson, VP is an American television sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon from November 8, 2008 to August 20, 2011. The series starred Keke Palmer, Ashley Argota, Matt Shively, Danielle Bisutti, Greg Proops, Robbie Amell and Ron Butler. The theme song was written by Toby Gad and Keke Palmer and...
, coinciding with the days before the album's release. During Winter 2009, Bieber began another promotion tour in the U.S., and is currently performing at several holiday "Jingle Ball" concerts.
While promoting the album, Bieber was scheduled to appear at Long Island's Roosevelt Fields Mall, but the performance had to be cancelled. TMZ
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
first reported the story, and it was covered by several national media outlets. Over 3,000 screaming fans showed up for the appearance. The event got out of control and over 35 police units from Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
and Garden City
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
had to be called in. According to TMZ, a fan screamed that Bieber was in an Abercrombie Kids
Abercrombie Kids
Abercrombie kids is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch. Targeting consumers aged 7–14, the concept is designed as the children's version of A&F and is marketed as "Classic Cool"...
store, and that is when the mayhem already taking place got further out of hand. Several fans were injured, but no serious injures took place. The police told Bieber he could not come in because of the current situation and fire hazard. In an interview with WBLI
WBLI
WBLI is a Top 40 music formatted radio station which mainly serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. It can also be heard in the Hudson Valley, the South Shore of Connecticut, and the Jersey Shore...
106.1, Bieber stated, "It was so crazy that I couldn't get to even come in the building," the singer said. "They [the authorities] basically threatened to put me in cuffs and send me away to jail." The police arrested an Island Records senior vice-president, James A. Roppo, reportedly for hindering the police's crowd control efforts. Bieber took to Twitter, apologizing to fans, and promising to make up for the cancellation.
Bieber performed for U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and first lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for the Christmas in Washington
Christmas in Washington
Christmas in Washington is an annual Christmas television special that currently airs on the U.S. TNT network.-Background:One of two annual holiday specials produced by George Stevens, Jr. , the variety show first aired in 1981 on NBC before moving to its current home on TNT in 1998. Recorded in...
, a televised musical special that benefits the National Children’s Medical Center, which aired on December 20 on TNT Bieber performed Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's "Someday at Christmas
Someday at Christmas
Someday at Christmas is a Christmas album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1967 under Motown Records. It was his eighth studio album release. It would also be re-released in 1978 with different cover art and different Catalog number...
" at the program. He was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31. While promoting the album in the United Kingdom, Bieber performed an acoustic rendition of "One Time" and a drum solo on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
on January 12, 2009.
Urban Behavior Tour
Bieber began traveling on a small tour sponsored by Urban BehaviorUrban Behavior
Founded in 1989 by Arif Noor, Urban Behavior is a unisex apparel retailer with 40 stores in Canada which sells private label clothing mostly designed out of Los Angeles. Most of the fashions change depending on the current trends, but the focus is on club wear. The store is mostly popular with...
, which was due to begin on November 1, 2009. However due to illness, Bieber was unable to make the opening date in Vancouver.
Tour Dates
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
November 1, 2009
|
Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... |
Metrotown Metrotown Metropolis at Metrotown is a shopping mall complex in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. With over 450 shops and services, it is the largest mall in British Columbia, and the 2nd largest in Canada... |
| November 3, 2009 | Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census... |
West Edmonton Mall West Edmonton Mall West Edmonton Mall , located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the largest shopping mall in North America and the fifth largest in the world. The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated from Iran in 1959. It was the world's largest mall until 2004.West Edmonton Mall covers a gross... |
| November 4, 2009 | Montreal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... |
Centre Eaton |
| November 5, 2009 | London London, Ontario London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city... |
White Oaks Mall |
| November 6, 2009 | Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... |
Vaughan Mills Vaughan Mills Vaughan Mills is a large shopping centre in Canada located at the southeast corner of Highway 400 and Rutherford Road, in Vaughan, Ontario about 32 km north of Downtown Toronto. The mall is located adjacent to Canada's Wonderland... |
Bieber joined Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
when she returned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for two dates of her Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
on November 23 and 24, 2009.
My World Tour
The My World TourMy World Tour
The My World Tour is the debut concert tour by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It is Bieber's first concert tour which supports his two-part debut album My World and My World 2.0. The tour was officially announced on March 16, 2010, a week before My World 2.0 was released...
was announced on March 13, 2010, supporting My World and My World 2.0
My World 2.0
My World 2.0 is the latter of two-part debut studio album from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, and is his first full studio release. The album is the follow-up to the first platinum certified half of the album, which was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and 2.0 was first released...
. It started in June and is scheduled to end on December 23, 2010
Singles
"One Time" was released as the album's lead singleLead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
on July 7, 2009, through digital distribution, and later released to U.S. mainstream radio. The song was released as Bieber's debut single in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in early January 2010. The song was critically appreciated by critics, commending its production, vocals and quality of lyrics. "One Time" peaked at twelve in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
twenty in the U.S. and eleven in the United Kingdom. It achieved international success, reaching the top thirty in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
, and Austria, and charted in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, The Netherlands, and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. European success propelled it to chart at twenty-nine in the European Hot 100. The music video features Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
and Bieber's friend Ryan Butler, as Bieber throws a party at Usher's house while he is away.
"One Less Lonely Girl
One Less Lonely Girl
"One Less Lonely Girl" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by Bieber's mentor, Usher, as well as Ezekiel Lewis, Balewa Muhammad of The Clutch, and A-Rex duo Sean Hamilton and Hyuk Shin...
" was released exclusively to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
as the album's second single on October 6, 2009. In November 2009, it was released to other digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
sites, and to U.S. mainstream radio. It received positive reviews. At the time, the song was Bieber's highest peak in the United States and Canada reaching fifteen and ten respectively. It went on to chart in the top thirty of Belgium and Germany, and charted in Austria also, and then it later charted in Australia and the United Kingdom. The accompanying music video features Bieber searching for his crush who left her scarf at the local laundromat.
"Love Me
Love Me (Justin Bieber song)
"Love Me " is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The track was written by Bruno Mars, Ari Levine, and Phillip Lawrence, and produced by Bill Malina and DJ Frank E. It was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promotional single from his debut studio release, My World on...
" was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promo single from the album. The song samples The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
's hit Lovefool
Lovefool
"Lovefool" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' third studio album First Band on the Moon, released as a single on 14 September 1996, in the United Kingdom and internationally on 5 October 1996...
. One of the most highly praised songs on the album, critics hailed the electro and club feel of the track. It peaked at twenty seven and twelve in the U.S. and Canada, respectively. It later charted at sixty-five and seventy one in Australia and the United Kingdom.
"Favorite Girl
Favorite Girl
"Favorite Girl" is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The song was written and produced by D'Mile, and Antea Birchett, Anesha Birchett, and Delisha Thomas also receive writing credits...
" was released exclusively to iTunes as the second promo single from the album, and the last single from the first part of the album. It peaked at fifteen in Canada and twenty-six in the United States, and later charted at ninety-two and seventy-six in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Commercial response
The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Even though the album debuted at six on the U.S. Billboard, it had a more than strong debut at 137,000 copies in its first week, which made Bieber have the best-selling debut by a new artist in 2009. However, the record was broken the following week with the release of Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
's I Dreamed a Dream
I Dreamed a Dream
"I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron...
. The album dropped to fourteen in its second week, but rose to twelve in the third week. The album collected 97,000 more sales in its fourth week, pushing the album up to number eight. The album continued to progress in sales during the fifth week, remaining at eight, and shifting another 130,012 copies. In the sixth week, the album moved up to seven, selling 157,000 copies, more than it sold in its debut week. The seventh week, the album returned to its original peak at six, selling an additional 52,000 copies. The album was certified gold in the U.S. by the RIAA on December 14, 2009, and was upgraded to platinum on January 8, 2010, selling over a million copies in the United States After his follow-up My World 2.0
My World 2.0
My World 2.0 is the latter of two-part debut studio album from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, and is his first full studio release. The album is the follow-up to the first platinum certified half of the album, which was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and 2.0 was first released...
topped the Billboard in March 2010, My World entered the top five, peaking at number five, making Bieber the first artist to have two titles in the chart's top five since Nelly in 2004.
The album had a stunning debut on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, charting at number one, and also went on to chart at eighteen in Austria and Germany, thirty-nine in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, fifty-two in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and twenty-four in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, on the Flanders chart
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
, and fifty-five in Belgium on the Wallonia chart
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...
. The November releases in Europe helped the album chart at sixty-one on the European Top 100 Albums Chart
European Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100...
. After the album was released and charted at number three in the United Kingdom and at twelve in Ireland, it reached sixteen on the European Albums Chart. The album also peaked at number twenty-eight in Mexico, seventy-nine in Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, and nineteen in Poland.
Critical response
My World received generally positive reviews. According to the music review aggregator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the album had mostly favorable reviews, with an average score of 65 out of 100 points. Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave My World a B-, saying that the "sugary puppy-love ballads and dinky dance-pop confections" were not surprising. However, he commended songs such as "Love Me
Love Me (Justin Bieber song)
"Love Me " is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber. The track was written by Bruno Mars, Ari Levine, and Phillip Lawrence, and produced by Bill Malina and DJ Frank E. It was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promotional single from his debut studio release, My World on...
", calling it a "killer electro-glam groove", and overall commending the album, hoping that Bieber's "swagger" continues to grow with age. Ashante Infantry of Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
gave the album 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, saying that Bieber sounds like a "young Chris Brown with overdubbed New Edition-style harmonies", and that is production team "songwriters found the right combination of hip-hop beats and love-struck lyrics for the Canadian's earnest pubescent vocals."
Allmusic gave the album 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, comparing Bieber to Chris Brown and Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, and calls the album "a set of songs that isn't quite top-level quality, but the singer more than gets by on his squeaky-clean charm and natural ability." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, commending the track "First Dance" saying, "But who could deny 'First Dance,' where Usher drops Justin at the prom so he and his Bieblette can get to "rockin' back and forth under the disco ball." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the album a positive review, calling Bieber's vocals "as boyish as they are disarmingly mature". The review as in others commends Bieber on his swagger, and the poignancy of "Down to Earth" and predicts more success in the future, stating, "it's hardly a stretch to imagine Bieber racking up more hits in the next decade to come". "Down to Earth", a mid-tempo ballad based on Bieber's real-life experience with his parents' divorce received universal acclaim from critics. Boston Globe which gave the album a mixed review overall said that "Down to Earth" was the essential song from the album. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the song along with "One Less Lonely Girl" "uncomplicatedly beautiful and earnest".
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from My World digital bookletDigital booklet
Digital booklets are the digital equivalent of liner notes that often accompany digital music purchases. They are most commonly distributed in Portable Document Format. One well-known distributor of digital booklets with digital purchases is the iTunes Store; the first instance of this on the...
.
- Ian Allen – business affairs
- Zack Atkinson – art direction & design
- Chris Baldwin – Poster Photography
- A.J. Benson – A&R
- Justin BieberJustin BieberJustin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
– Lead and background vocals, writing. - Antea Birchett – writer, producer
- Anesha Birchett – writer, producer
- Lonny Breaux – writer, producer
- Scooter BraunScooter BraunScott Samuel "Scooter" Braun is an American talent manager. His acts appear on two record labels, Raymond-Braun Media Group and Schoolboy Records. The most prominent artist Braun represents is Justin Bieber, who is signed to Raymond-Braun Media Group...
– executive producer - Lashaunda "Babygirl" Carr – writer, producer
- Leesa D. Brunson – A&R
- DJ Frank EDJ Frank EJustin Franks, also known as DJ Frank E, is an American DJ and record producer from Denver, Colorado. He began mixing records and later progressed to producing remixes in 2003....
– producer - Blake Eiseman – recording
- Dernst Emile IID'MileDernst "D'Mile" Emile II is an American songwriting music producer from Brooklyn, New York. Sometimes referred to as D. Emile, Dernst Emile II or Dee'Mile is most commonly known and accredited as D'Mile...
– producer, writer - Jaycen Joshua-Fowler – mixing
- Alexander "Prettyboifresh" Parhm Jr – producer
- Taylor Graves –background vocals
- Christy Hall – production assistant
- Sean P. Hamilton – producer, writer
- Kuk HarrellKuk HarrellThaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
– producer, writer - Rosalind Harrel – A&R consultant
- Christopher Hicks – album producer
- Daria Hines – styling
- Doug Joswick – package production
- Chris Kraus – recorder
- Ezekiel LewisEzekiel LewisEzekiel "Zeke" Lewis is an award-winning American songwriter, who has written and arranged for many best selling recording artists. He is co-founder of the American songwriting/production company, The Clutch...
– producer, writer - Giancarlo Lino – mixing assistant
- Pamela Littky – Photography
- Ryan Lovete – producer, writer
- Bill Malina – vocal production
- Bonnie McKee – background vocals
- Balewa MuhammadThe ClutchThe Clutch is an American collective of songwriters responsible for a series of successful singles including Omarion's "Ice Box", Ciara's "Like a Boy", Timbaland's "The Way I Are", Britney Spears' "Radar" and Raven-Symone's "Double Dutch Bus".-History:...
– producer - Terius Nash – producer, writer
- Waynne NugentMidi MafiaMidi Mafia is a hip hop/R&B production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift from Ottawa, Ontario...
– producer, writer - Steve Owens – A&R consultant
- Dave Pensado – mixing
- Nina PerssonNina Perssonis the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish pop group The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and appearing on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited...
– writer - Vanessa Price – grooming
- Yolanda Ray – A&R
- Usher Raymond IV – Vocals, executive producer, producer, writer
- Antonio "LA" Reid– executive producer
- Dwight "Skrapp" Reynolds – writer, keyboard
- Kevin RistoMidi MafiaMidi Mafia is a hip hop/R&B production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift from Ottawa, Ontario...
– producer - Aaron Rosenburg – legal counsel
- Todd Russell – art direction & design
- Gabriella Schwartz – marketing
- Hyuk Shin – producer
- Tashia Stafford – A&R
- Jeremy Stevenson – recording
- Christopher "Tricky" Stewart – producer, writer,
- Tim Stewart – guitar
- Peter SvennssonThe CardigansThe Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
– writer - Brian Thomas – recording
- Dapo TorimiroDapo TorimiroDapo Torimiro is a multi-platinum songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he has worked in the music industry in the U.S...
– producer, writer - Antionete Trotman – business affairs
- Andrée WattersAndrée WattersAndrée Watters-Michaud is a musician and a one-time Felix-award winner in 2004, from Quebec-Early/Non career life:...
– writer - Bruce WaynneMidi MafiaMidi Mafia is a hip hop/R&B production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift from Ottawa, Ontario...
– producer - Jesse Wilson – producer, writer
- Andrew Wuepper – mixing assistant
- Nicole Wyskoarko – business affairs
Charts
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
79 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 18 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
16 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
23 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
52 |
| European Top 100 Albums Chart European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
16 |
| German Albums Chart | 18 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
10 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
11 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 22 |
| Polish Albums Chart | 19 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
39 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
5 |
End of year charts
| Chart (2010) | Rank |
|---|---|
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
24 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
8 |
Certifications
| Region | Provider | Certification(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | IFPI | Platinum |
| Canada | CRIA Cria A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically... |
2x Platinum |
| Germany | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Platinum |
| Japan | RIAJ | Gold |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
2x Platinum |
| United States | RIAA | Platinum |
Release history
| Country | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
November 17, 2009 | Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
|
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
November 20, 2009 | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
January 18, 2010 | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
March 22, 2010 | Mercury Records, Universal Music |